Our favorite Christmas traditions

Christmas is a time for family in the Wayward households! When we Wayward Girls were growing up, Mom made sure we established lots of traditions to tie our family together. Here are a few of our favorites.

Mom has a gorgeous advent calendar, which I tried to replicate, but couldn't. So I went Wayward for my felt advent calendar.

Mom makes super creative Christmas cards:

Noel Folding Cards

Christmas photo card

We learn about the symbols of Christmas:

Our stockings are hung by the chimney with extra care, since Mom made these custom patchwork stockings specially designed for each of us (and our husbands and kids now, too!)

My mom's brothers and parents live in town, and we all get together at our house on Christmas Eve for dinner, caroling, and cookies. Our sugar cookies with drizzle frosting are a favorite!

Jasmine's awesome Harry Potter cookies do not really reflect the other cookie tradition . . . making them super ugly.

At this family gathering, we exchange special handmade gifts. We draw names at Thanksgiving and come up with something extra special for our Gifts from the Heart.

Last year, Jasmine shared her Gift from the Heart for our grandma, an avid Scrabble player, with all her grandkids' names.

Then we read the Christmas story from the Book of Luke (and Cajun Night Before Christmas), and finally, we get to open ONE gift: our Christmas pajamas. Here are all of the Wayward Girls in our first-thing-in-the-morning, TAKE-THE-DANG-PICTURE-ALREADY glory--not shown: zebra print fleece PJ pants!

And most importantly, since this will be THREE babies' first Christmases, 

WE ALWAYS STICK A BOW ON THE BABY'S HEAD.

(My older two kids, with my sister-in-law at right)

Last year, we were so happy to celebrate Christmas and then Jasmine's wedding together.

This year, most of us Wayward Girls will be continuing these traditions in our own families, and starting new ones.

What are your favorite Christmas traditions?

Top banner photo credit: ornament by Avi